What’s Kik Messenger All About?

If you’ve heard about the Kik messaging app, or as some would call it, “the new BBM”, you probably sat at the cool-kid lunch-table at school. Kik, a multi-platform messaging app designed to do one thing — communicate instantly and effortlessly with buddies — has absolutely exploded over the last few weeks. Originally on track to launch an innovative (and pretty cool) music-sharing, remote-controllable service, Kik soon found themselves creating a messaging app with some of their existing technology while the music service firmed up behind the scenes. After a pretty poor original launch (I tried Kik back then and the beta was definitely a beta — I uninstalled it soon after it was first installed), Kik stripped away almost everything until they ended up with one of the quickest and most reliable messaging apps around.

Kik has over 1.2 million unique users signed up, Kik CEO Ted Livingston told BGR yesterday evening. The company is expecting its user-base to cross the 1.75-million user mark any day. Ted even said that Kik had to charter a plane and load it up with extra servers to bring to their data center just to keep the service up and running to handle the influx of users. Kik’s growth is nothing short of remarkable, with a completely viral marketing initiative spreading like wildfire across Facebook and Twitter. What’s exciting is that Kik knows that their users expect an even better user experience, and even more features. Here is what Kik is planning on doing:

They have just submitted a new update for the app to Apple’s App Store which should fix any bugs, but more importantly introduce new privacy features. We’re told Kik will add the ability to opt-out of the service suggesting users to you (and you to other users) in addition to the ability to block users. Going one step beyond this, instead of introducing an accept/decline system for friend requests, Kik seems to have a pretty nifty solution planned. By default, you will be able to make it so that any user who you don’t manually add to your buddy list, won’t be able to message you. If they happen to get your Kik username and send you a message, you won’t get it. They’ll get an automatic response to their sent message that you have enabled a privacy feature and that you would need to message them first.

After solidifying the app and introducing these new privacy features, Kik plans to bet big on photo sharing. Sending pictures back and forth isn’t anything new, but it links in nicely with Kik long-term strategy — a desktop browser-based mobile community. Kik is touting a system they have created to let your phone sign you into Kik.com, thus accessing your buddy list, shared photos, and possibly even more down the road. It appears to be a pretty novel concept, just walk up to your computer, wave your phone back and forth, the system will authenticate you, and you’re off and running. All your buddies are there, you can chat, see your message history, photos, and other content in one place. We still don’t know how Kik plans to monetize their service. It would prove to be pretty difficult to start charging millions of people for a service that was free from the beginning, but mobile ads are certainly a possibility in our mind. Possibly a premium product with additional features? Who knows. All we do know is that with Android, BlackBerry and iPhone apps that can all talk to each other, you don’t have an excuse not to be on Kik.

Have tried it, works almost exactly like BBM, but across all platforms, it doesn’t transfer files as well, but the messaging part is good.

Nokia N900

I like it, I’ve been getting all my friends to sign up, it’s catching on like wildfire. I didn’t even know you could transfer files using this, cool beans, whoops I mean Epic Win, no Kik FTW.

http://www.twitter.com/b_boogey_xl b_boogey_xl

I don’t understand what’s so great about BBM over text messaging or AIM; what’s wrong w/ AIM? doesn’t it have most of these features already?

Nokia N900

Instant Messengers are cool because you don’t have to give everyone your phone number, there may be some people you don’t want blowing up your phone all day, but you don’t mind talking to through text. With kik you use your real name and then your screen name is more in the background, which is cool because if I want to find a friend named Vanessa Thomas (Exp), I can search for that name and not lilfreak69nurmowth. Kik is like a more professional grown-up IM, like facebook is to myspace.

simon

This is the “professional grown-up IM”? Reading their sample picture seems like they’re gearing it towards the “cool” population ie. teens. With BBM, you don’t have to give out numbers either, it is just the pin.

And since when was facebook professional??

Nokia N900

When facebook first started you had to be in college with a college email to be a member, they sent the registration to college emails only. I’m not trying to say facebook is only for professionals now or even then but when compared to myspace it was definitely more adult oriented.

QNX Please

BBM is instant, you don’t need a text messaging plan, and uses practically zero data. You can transfer files of any size, plus when you send a message you know whens its been delivered and when its been read. Unlike texting where you simply send it and you hope they receive it, sometimes SMS gets delayed, I know I have received some messages an hour later. Plus anyone who has a BlackBerry has BBM, unlike AIM where many people don’t use it.

http://twitter.com/mfg68 Matt Galo

I see a lot of downtime from their twitter feed. I don’t know, I may jump on Kik if it doesn’t kill my battery.

Anonymous

I guess I dont understand if this app is more like YAK (free txts), or more like Yhoo messenger, where you actually have to have the app open and be signed in to get messages (?).

Anonymous

it runs in the background..you don’t have to have it open to continue a convo

Jasperdrogers

I like Liveprofile better cant wait till they come out of beta!

http://www.pixelsystems.net pr0cs

I like to see a startup (Canadian) company get some exposure but I can’t help but think we already have apps like this already?
Surely the Blackberry store has something that will talk to the MSN network no? I’m confident Iphone does, and I KNOW Android does? Why re-invent the wheel? At least with MSN it’s on PCs as well in a myriad of other flavors (Pidgin, Trillian).
Seems odd to want to pick another IM program that is relegated to cell phones only and doesn’t have any history on PCs.

same here except on my droid 2. i used to be able to get a full day before installing this app, now i can barely get through half a day.

http://twitter.com/chrispgriffin Chris Griffin

As a BlackBerry user, it’s going to be very difficult to convince me that this is better than BBM… I’m sure kik is a fine program. But this just seems like I would be installing Google Chat again, but with a different name, especially if file transfers are iffy.

Toto

Definitely not better than BBM.. Right now, at least.

Michael Scrip

6 of my friends have ditched their Blackberries for Android devices.

In my social circle… BBM is going out of style.

I, too, will be getting an Android phone next month. While I’ve enjoyed my Blackberry for the last 18 months… nothing can keep me on that platform anymore.

http://c0rinne.net Corinne

I get why people like it, but in order for me to use it, I’d have to tell all of my contacts to download it and use it. I might as well text them or just use one of the IM programs that have already been around for years through IM+ or something like that (there are already so many multiplatform IM programs).

Anonymous

actually when you download it does that for you…thats one thing thats cool about it. i have like 20 friends on Kik and i told none of them…

Frank

That is the ONLY cool part about Kik. I have it and it’s very weak. BBM should do cross platform and not require pins. They would destroy any of these wannabe IM clients.

FJ

There are great programs already that do this, kik, whatsapp, pingchat and lots others. The problem is that they don’t work together. All these services should unite on the same platform, probably jabber.

And a bigger problem is that you actually need to install the product, while BBM comes with the device that doesn’t require sign-in. Also, some of this services don’t support symbian. Symbian is bleeding market share and will probably fall to second place in 2011, but still it should be supported.

So, it’s still more convenient to use windows live messenger / aim / yahoo depending on your country / region

Jgoitom23

bbm does require a sigh in cause you need a bbm email and password if you don’t have that it won’t work.

QNX Please

No you don’t, once people have your BlackBerry PIN they can send you messages, you will receive them either in a stand alone BBM app that is alway open, or in your inbox. There is no such thing as a BBM email.

Exactly. Except without the ability to use your PC to respond.
Useless. Whatsapp is useless, too.

Mordecaidrake

I just don’t get it, normal texting IS THE SAME THING!!!!

Anonymous

no its not..

Toto

No, IT’S NOT.. First of all, some people dont have a txt package and don’t want to pay for it.. Second, kik is faster than texting and has sent, received and read notifications.. . Plus it has profiles, status, group chat..etc.

Jgoitom23

no this is super fast and when they put group chat in its going to be great

Anonymous

ive been using it for a week now, pretty cool if you like BBM. its for all those people who are paranoid no one is getting their messages… it also alerts you when people you know get the app. im rockin an iphone and all my friends with androids and bb have been able to get the app too..

http://twitter.com/park Park

Yeah, how is this any different than WhatsApp?

Anonymous

its free….which makes it very different

Farlon

Wow, what a puff PR piece. How much did you get paid to print this? Quotes from the CEO, raving review, how much better it is now (e.g. please come back and try this again, we promise we don’t suck as much now), etc. What’s missing? humm, how aobut talking if it works with existing networks rather than trying to appeal to opinion leaders by pushing the “act quick, everyone cool is already doing it” edge.

opiapr

@farlon you must be one of the idiots that got banned from Gizmodo. Always attacking the news source instead of commenting on its content.

Anaq8i

Again, how is this better than Whatsapp? The photo sharing is already available in Whatsapp

Anonymous

kik is free…

http://twitter.com/so_rudez Rudy

99 cents is hardly a wallet breaker

mjrtom

the question: how is this better?
the answer: it is free.

that’s it. nothing to add

Anonymous

Nope.. But free is cheaper than .99¢.

http://twitter.com/BlackBerrySith Sith_Apprentice

Kik is not bad at all. i would like to be able to search for display names and not just user names though.

Anonymous

I like how the Kik offices are less than a mile away from Research in Motion.

Sean

I still won’t care about any of these new services until group chat is enabled. Until then texting on my phone is just fine.

http://twitter.com/SirCatalyst Justin Vincible

I’m still confused as to why this IM app is so popular all of a sudden. I didn’t know read notifications were so needed. Take that feature away and you’ve got AIM/Gtalk/ICQ/Live/Ytalk…

It just seems like a fad that’s “new and cool”. and everyone wanted to be in on the ground floor

http://www.facebook.com/peterf Peter Fares

Exactly. This is just a stupid IM program that only works on your phone. I’m currently on my PC right now. If someone sends me a message through gtalk, it will arrive to my Nexus One AND to my desktop PC. What do you think I will respond from? That’s right, the PC.
With this? No option to do so. You have to peck on your little screen while you’re sitting at a machine with a full size keyboard.
Useless.

Disinhibited

This is an awesome App. Finally, I can talk to my Blackberry-loving buddies again!

Foley

careful with what email address you are using to sign up with. even after changing it in teh app I am still getting people asking who I am. no one know me in my virtual world at work.

http://twitter.com/CHSISteve Stephen St. Agathe

Until it can swap pics,sound files and have Group support, it ain’t saying anything. Give me my BBM any day…for chatting with my non-BB friends, WhatsApp and Ping Chat are great.

mendelay

There are two things Kik can do to make me want to use it:

1) Allow 1-click voicenotes.
I can’t always put in the effort of typing a message, or calling. BBM has voice notes, so should you!

2) Kik on the web.
I shouldn’t be limited to using Kik only on my phone. It should be available on my browser on the web. Think about it – Kik’s user base can really grow if you don’t need a smartphone to join!